Seattle Sounders FC today announced that defender DeAndre Yedlin has finalized his transfer to Barclays Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. The two clubs originally agreed to the deal on August 13, 2014, and Yedlin is set to complete his move to North London during the January Transfer Window.
“We are extremely proud of what DeAndre has accomplished during his time in Seattle and we wish him every success in the next step of his career,” said Sounders FC Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer. “DeAndre will always be a member of the Sounders FC family, and as our first Homegrown Player, he is now a global ambassador for our club and our region. DeAndre is a special player and we look forward to watching him progress in his career at Tottenham.”
Signed as Seattle’s first Homegrown Player on January 11, 2013, Yedlin earned MLS All-Star honors in each of his two MLS seasons and represented the U.S. Men’s National Team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, making three appearances in last summer’s tournament. The 21-year-old became the first MLS Homegrown player to represent the U.S. National Team at the FIFA World Cup, and he was one of seven players to make at least 10 appearances for the USMNT in 2014. Earlier this month U.S. Soccer named Yedlin 2014 U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year.
“I’m very excited for DeAndre and the opportunity that awaits him at Tottenham in the Barclays Premier League,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid. “We’re proud of what he’s accomplished here in Seattle and what he’s meant to our team in a short period of time.”
The Seattle-native started all 25 of his MLS regular season appearances in 2014 and recorded a career-high four assists. He was voted onto the AT&T MLS All-Star Best XI and helped his hometown team win the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Supporters' Shield. During his first season with Sounders FC, he led the team with 31 appearances and 2,710 minutes, becoming the first rookie player since Michael Parkhurst in 2005 to make the MLS All-Star team.
Yedlin grew-up in Shoreline, Washington, where he played youth soccer for Emerald City, Northwest Nationals and Crossfire. He attended O’Dea High School and was a member of the inaugural Sounders FC Academy class. Yedlin was a two-time All-MAC First Team honoree at Akron, recording six assists in 45 appearances over two seasons.
